------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------artist: ChaoticKnight
concept: The Mattress Mantis
These creatures are usually found under children's beds. They grow from regular bed bugs by feeding off the imagination and fear of the child, and can usually grow to the size of an average adult. Usually, the creature will grow tendrils that attach one of the child's toys to its head, as a sort of camouflage when hiding under the bed at night before it comes out. During the day, it shrinks down to a smaller size and attaches itself to the underside of the bed. These creatures aren't usually deadly, but they should be removed by the parent as soon as possible for the safety of the child.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------artist: masque
concept:
From the field audio report of Det. Lt. Marsh Dillon, Veridianopolis P.D.:
This is the last entry in the diary of Janey Holderman, age 7:
I'm so hungry. And cold! I finished all my bedtime snacks yesterday. And I'm so thirsty!
It started three days ago. Mom always told me if I didn't clean my room and kept throwing stuff under the bed, someday something would come alive under there. I didn't believe her. I thought she was kidding me. But she was right. Now Mom's dead. They ate her. They eat everything!
I woke up and the first one was there, under my bed, pushing me up against the ceiling. I screamed. Daddy came running in. It ate him. Then Mom, too. Then little Joey. Then Fluffers. Then it threw up. It looked like one of Fluffers' hairballs, but it was another one. It puked up another one of what it is.
They ate my gerbil, then my books, then my dolls. They even ate my Elmo puppet! And they keep eating and puking and eating and puking and eating and puking. But they always stay right under my bed!
I'm so scared. What if the bed falls of
Diary terminates. No clues to explain the mysterious destruction of the house, nor the disappearance of the Holderman family. The child must have been delirious. No sign of any unusual creatures, though I guess it wouldn't hurt to look one more time under the
The disappearance of Det. Dillon brought this case to our attention. We have now determined that an entirely new magical species has been created out of the nightmares of an undiscovered but extremely powerful psychic child, who unfortunately seems to have been killed by the creatures. Apparently taking form from random items the child had stored under her bed, it is fortunate that the ravenous creatures are bound to the place of their invocation -- their escape would be catastrophic! Their life cycle is fairly typical (consumption of mundane items followed by regurgitative replication), with the exception that once all edibles are consumed, they do not expire. Instead, the dominant individual eats all other members of the species, then goes into a dormant state, resembling very closely a child's large stuffed animal, until a new food source appears.
Some of our more alarmist adepts speculate that the child did not die, but instead found herself the master of the creatures, and was able to escape, perhaps even carrying one of the smaller things off with her. We are monitoring all paranormal and mundane media for any hint that this may be true.
-- "Report on the Veridianopolis Incident," International Journal of Magical and Psychic Events, May 2007

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------artist: BEAR JR
concept: The Voracious Spindlywick
This beast is spawned beneath the beds of particularly messy children. It begins as a tiny larvae, feeding on crumbs and scraps of paper. As it consumes more and more forgotten waste, it grows, its limbs lengthening and spreading so it can reach nourishment from the furthest corners of the Underbed. Despite its insatiable hunger and constant growth, the Spindlywick is a fragile creature, with limbs so weak they cannot support even its frail frame. Thus the creature is bound forever under the bed, hairy mold sprouting from its immobile body, clumps of dust and webs drifting from its legs. It finally starves when its limbs cannot reach any more food, and growth halts.
Yet the presence of mandibles on the creature below suggests a much different fate. Can certain Spindlywicks survive their own feebleness, and in a properly messy Underbed grow jaws powerful enough to seek larger prey?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------artist: SOUTHERN
concept:
UNDER MY BED..is a doorway. A crack in time with the tantalizing glimpse of another plane, and I can't get in! If I'm awake the doorway is never open or at least I cannot see it. When I sleep the doorway opens but I am never able to pass as it is guarded by a feeble Lesser Scowling Demon. In my dreams I try to pass into the cracks in my floor only to be turned away. I often try to fool the beast by lying still in my bed and `faking` a dream. I get so confused these days. I've been trying to get to that wondrous land for so long that I fear I may have grown up and that worries me much more than a Scowler ever could.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------artist: prepsage
concept: Baku
Sometimes, our passing into the ethereal realm of dreams is not such a pleasant and relaxing experience. The Baku, who reside within the Deep Realms, are predators, feeding off the emotions we have while dreaming. They seek out new portals opening to the ethereal realm and lay their tentacles as a trap for a dreamer to fall into. Once ensnared, the dreamer will find himself unknowingly locked within the body of the Baku for what may seem like an eternity.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------artist: Thalion
concept: Crabus Underbedhermitus
„Mooommy!!! There is a monster under my bed!". This morning young Tommy discovered the new kind of creature. Do you know Hermit Crab? This is something like that, but it doesn't use shells, it uses beds as it's home. Crabus Underbedhermitus has got strange tongue- it looks like two pink slippers. Beast uses it to hunt, to get the food: socks. Socks are the mainly diet of this creature, but it can also eat old scarfs and toys. Crabus is really patient, it always get the sock which it want. So do not be angry on your mother or wife when you will not be able to find your sock... better check what hides under your bed.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------artist: Vahn
concept:
This is my friend Fuzzy. He lives under the Bed. Sometimes he eats my socks.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------artist: Kyle Steed
concept:
This is a Rheum. It rests underneath ones bed until the individual is a sleep. Once the unconscious has reached their peak of REM sleep, the Rheum unearths it's self and feeds off the crusted water discharges found on the edges of the human eyelids. It uses it's pointed leg claws to dig the crust from the eye and via it's muscular arms consumes it through the many flaps atop it's head.
A Rheum measures approximately 9" tall and has an incredibly long life span. The Rheums have very sensitive hearing which is why if you ever happen to see one (which you won't) they will typically be wearing some kind of hearing aid device.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------artist: Azathoth
concept: Reffuse chrysalid
These creatures live and actually build their body case from lost hair and dead skin .These alien insectoids live under household
beds. They thrive in dirty houses and grow larger and more threatening as the filth supply grows. Their size wholly depends on the number of times a host person cleans under their beds. The less one cleans the larger they grow. Eventually it is thought that if one grows large enough it will eat the host or sleeper human whole. Hence the missing person list grows ever larger.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------artist: SirJohanna
concept:
Barely visible during days, mostly harmless, only in the size of a mouse. However these critters grow bigger during the night. Many chose to live under children's beds, but for some reason they keep away from adults.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------artist: cromag_rickmanus
concept: Urincombibo
this creature has a very particular diet, that of human urine - more specifically that of the younger generations. It aquires it's food by attaching itself to the underside of a young person's bed and laying dormant until the "host" goes to sleep for the night. Then, using three long appendages that spout from its side, it reaches up and attaches one end to three of the childs fingers. Being naturally moist and warm, the ends of the tentacles give the child the sensation similar to dipping his or her hand in a warm bowl of water, and the child naturally urinates. Using small tubes that burrow through the soft material of the mattress, the Urincombibo absorbes the food into it's stomach, thus being satisfied for the day. Many a small child has been labeled a bed-wetter through no fault of their own, but because of a hungry Urincombibo.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------artist: Artfully Lydia
concept:
A Foosaray is a nocturnal creature that lives within the darkest and the most unswept place in the home: Under the bed. It’s an ever-changing creature, make up of a number of elements: dog & human hair, dust bunnies, wrappers, bobby pins, food crumbs, shedded human skin and any other item that floats freely on dirty floors. It moves via static electricity, which also helps it to grow in size. Foosaray’s main diet is human skin and sweat, suckled from unsuspecting feet that hang over the foot of the bed at night. After the person is asleep, its long, pinkish tongue reaches up to suckle on exposed big toes. Its secret to survival is its ability to regenerate quickly and elude capture from "the vacuum".

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------artist: Red Mimic
concept: Slumber Crab
These nocturnal creatures take refuge under a child's bed during the day. When night falls, they scuttle around the child's room sorting misplaced toys in hopes of uncovering left over snacks. When no snacks can be found the crabs dine on half a pair of socks or any homework lying around. A child may awake to find their bed relocated to another location of the house.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------artist: Frostdrake
concept:
The Voro are elusive creatures, visible seemingly only to younger children - or so we thought. It seems that these animals forage under most beds, but particularily those of younger humans. Their diet consists of stuffing found within most children's toys - although with the inventions of "plastic" and "rubber" their numbers have been steadily decreasing.
Vaguely resembling a very, very large rat, with needle-like teeth (for ripping seams), it actually has no interest whatever in humans themselves. Children, whose imaginations have yet to stagnate, can look under the bed while their rooms are dark to see the tapetum lucidum reflecting light from small beady eyes.
Upon making a riot, screaming for their parents, the Voro's first instinct is to hide within the entrails of whatever stuffed animal they had been consuming. In most cases, this camouflage enables the animal to evade capture from adult hands (let alone being seen - thus why only children see these animals). Under most circumstances any de-stuffed animal found later on is generally blamed on the dog.
If their camouflage fails, the animal will scurry out of the room in a flurry of wrinkly skin and clattering nails. The adult's only rational explanation then is that it was a rat that had been hiding under their child's bed. To the untrained eye, their fecal matter resembles the little balls of lint or fuzz that collect in corners or on carpets.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------artist: dayz
concept: The Denied Rabbit
Dedicated to all those bunnies given up after they inevitably grow out of their initial tiny cute stage.
The Denied Rabbit has been completely forgotten and left alone to survive on miscellaneous items under the bed. Hence, this propells its deformity as well as giganticism, seemingly to spite their original owners of their ignorance and cruelty.
The Denied Rabbit has a kind heart despite its horrific appearance. It tries to hang with the dustbunnies, but finds difficulty in being accepted.
Catch them and kiss them before its too late.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------artist: Michael Jaecks
concept: The Wooly Hypersolifugid
More disgusting than cockroaches and more startling than a scuttling centipede, the Wooly Hypersolifugid, known more commonly as the Dustbunny Crab, blends into its environs with the camoflague that gives it its nickname. Between the empty pizza boxes, dirty magazines and sweatsocks under your filthy bed, this little critter thrives, feeding off the refuse that collects thanks to an apathy for hygene. Now get upstairs and clean your room.

Michael Motion
very nice artwork, but unfortunately you missed the topic...i can't accept your entry because the bird's nest is too far away from the definition of a bed which was aimed for in this topic

edujante
Tomaso is sweet, but the story is too much based on an indivual characters fate more than a common description about a species.

Voted Masque - love the composition and polish...creature seems like a lot of things seen before (doctor seuss, gremlins, chuck jones) but the skillfull job with the rendering more than made up for it.

Dayz - got a great one too, just a bit more polish and value range needed.

SirJohanna - looking very good as well. Nice details and finishing touches...perhaps a bit too vibrantly colored but looking good.

HI fozzy, im not agree about your justification, well i ll try to explain how i focus this threat. in my opinion this threat was a little bit oniric, the monster under the bed, monster who lived in boys mind, symbols of fear, pure imagination to justify an irrational fear of darkness, strange noise, ETC...
Well, tomaso was a creature that a kid could imagine, funny but discusting, half teddy bear, half monster. Maybe this guy doesnt need to imagine a lot of details about the monster, this monster just stay each night under his bed, and for him, is the most important. I thought that this threath doesnt need to be so so cientifical or empiric, i thought dreams are not so closed, maybe more abstract, as MONSTERS S.A. In this movie we dont know why the main charac. has a big eye, or why is esferic and green, in this underworld each monster is different and the only common point is that they scare little boys, is their meaning of life as tomaso. Maybe in tomaso planet are everyone diferent.
This was my starting point, but maybe i miss the topic!I understand your point of view but i thought that you need to hear mine.
Thanks!(i hope you understand me)
Cheers

HI fozzy, im not agree about your justification, well i ll try to explain how i focus this threat. in my opinion this threat was a little bit oniric, the monster under the bed, monster who lived in boys mind, symbols of fear, pure imagination to justify an irrational fear of darkness, strange noise, ETC...
Well, tomaso was a creature that a kid could imagine, funny but discusting, half teddy bear, half monster. Maybe this guy doesnt need to imagine a lot of details about the monster, this monster just stay each night under his bed, and for him, is the most important. I thought that this threath doesnt need to be so so cientifical or empiric, i thought dreams are not so closed, maybe more abstract, as MONSTERS S.A. In this movie we dont know why the main charac. has a big eye, or why is esferic and green, in this underworld each monster is different and the only common point is that they scare little boys, is their meaning of life as tomaso. Maybe in tomaso planet are everyone diferent.
This was my starting point, but maybe i miss the topic!I understand your point of view but i thought that you need to hear mine.
Thanks!(i hope you understand me)
Cheers

I understand your point. It would have been accepted if you described the creatures "function" generally and not focused on Tomaso. It is only a small step away from the right track, so i am sure next time it won't be a big deal for you to get in

PixelVillain
Your image link doesn't work proper (though you inserted it the right way), it doesn't show the image directly in the thread, only a link...guess it has to do with this Photobucket linking...ask someone who knows about Image Photobucket, maybe it isn't possible, most members use ImageShack...try this one.

wow, just logged on here after a while offline and i'm a bit taken aback (in a good way ) and amazed -- thanks for the kind words and votes, folks!

good work all around, i'm surprised it wasn't a more popular theme, despite its being somewhat of a standard. my vote went to SOUTHERN because his concept was broader than just the creature, and the rendering has an unlabored appeal. also tops for me were dayz, Vahn, and prepsage, but all were well done.

Prepsage and Masque, I very nearly chose one of you; I loved your concepts, Prepsage's because it depicted a vast and strange other world, in which a dreamer can become ensnared, and Masque's because of composition and the originality of the description. I went with dayz, however, because of the execution. I like the quick, messy look it has to it; the only thing I wish you had polished more was the child's face; it would have been interesting to see his reaction. I'm diggin the muted colors; they're semitransparent, like watercolor, and the expression on the bunny's face is perfect. Great job, I love the style.

very cool stuff! hehe thx for the votes my favorites are masque, Joey-b & BEAR JR. dayz's is very nice too but still too unfinished. In the end i voted for masque, because i love how they cough out the little ones lol

wow..thanks everyone for the feedback..
I totally saw how unfinished mine was once it was compared with everyone elses..gotta crank it up a notch next time for sure..everyone's setting the bar pretty high =) Definitely a great motivator..I still consider myself a newbie in terms of digital art..hopefully 1 weekly posting will fix that ...